


Tumblr drabbles

by Kairin16



Category: Avengers (Comics), Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers (2012), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Afterlife, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Animal Transformation, Deities, Demons, Dragons, Elves, Fae & Fairies, Fairy Tales, Ghosts, Immortality, Immortals, M/M, Magic, Selkies, Sirens, Superheroes, Unicorns, Vampires, Wizards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-31
Updated: 2012-12-31
Packaged: 2017-11-23 02:16:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 14,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/616963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kairin16/pseuds/Kairin16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Series of drabbles I wrote to avoid procrastination some time ago. Most of them are based on prompts from Alternative Universe Bingo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Avengers: Deity/Higher Power

Tony stretched on his sofa, letting the kinks in his spine pop out with a noise that even he was willing to admit was a little cringe worthy. It still didn’t warrant the face his own private god pulled from his seat at the windowsill. Sometimes, he wondered how the man could ever pass as a member of modern society when he was so obviously out of place anywhere he went. He supposed the way Steve looked and moved had something to do with it, either charming or intimidating anyone who would voice any doubts about his origins.

“You’re thinking of me as Steve again.” Steve said and grimaced at the taste of coffee Tony passed him. “Stop it.”

“Nope.” Tony answered, shrugging one shoulder and sitting at his desk, pulling some papers he was supposed to sign closer to him. “Your name is ridiculous and nearly unpronounceable. You’ll have to live with a simple mortal name.”

“The problem is, I am no mortal.” The man grumbled as an answer, staring soulfully into his cup. Tony turned to him with a frown and watched as the blond tapped against the porcelain edge changing the coffee into one of his fancy beverages. This was blasphemy against everything Tony hold dear, but he wasn’t going to comment on that yet. Just few weeks ago a statement like the one that just left Steve’s mouth would be roared at the top of his very impressive lungs, rage sparkling in his eyes at the sheer implication that he was something less than godlike.

Something was wrong. Tony walked slowly to the man and sat beside him at the windowsill. After no comment was forthcoming he turned sidewise and pulled the cup from Steve’s hands, taking them into his own.

“What crawled into your breakfast and died?” He said, because it was one thing to be concerned and another to actually admit it to the god. He was insufferable as it was.

“Nothing.” Steve said after a pause and begun moving his thumbs rhythmically over Tony’s knuckles. It filled him with a warmth that he would never suspected someone so against everything like Steve would invoke and that more often than not scared him out of his mind.

He would continue the line of interrogation if it wasn’t for Steve’s lips covering his own, cutting any thoughts he might have had in his head at the time. This was quite unfair technique if he was going to be honest. But he let it go, curling closer to the god and deepening the kiss, making a soft happy noise at the feel of strong arms pulling him into the firm chest.

Something was definitely bothering his own private myth and damn it all to hell if Tony would just drop it. But he could let Steve distract him from now, let him think Tony bought his stupid ‘nothing’ remark. After all, there was nothing much better than lazy make out sessions and who knows when would be the next one if he really upset the other man.


	2. XMFC: Demons/Angels

“Are you fucking serious?!” Erik asked, pushing the heels of his palms into his eyes and slumping over the table. Charles was sitting quietly at the other end, his tail _**(TAIL!)**_ swishing from side to side calmly as if he was expecting the outburst.

He probably did, the dick that he is.

It was actually easier to believe that Charles was some sort of super powered human, like in comics from Erik’s youth, than that he was some kind of demon from hell or whatever passed as it lately. When he said that he needed to confess something to Erik, he expected something more along the lines “I’ve heard the way you’re thinking about me, I wouldn’t be adverse to any of these things, but especially sex. Can we have sex now.”. Instead he got “So I know it might sound a little ridiculous, but I’m a demon sent to Earth to damn people I deem evil.”

And then he whipped out a pair of tiny horns growing from behind his ears and almost completely disappearing into his hair, and an honest to God (HA) tail. With a tiny pointy thing at the end and all.

Erik was so busy internally panicking about the situation that he lost the sight of said tail, which was very unlike him. Before he could open his mouth and ask about it however, he felt something soft coil around his ankle under his pants and tickle the side of his instep. He jerked from the surprise and looked with wide eyes at his companion, that man he was travelling with for months now and saw a tiny smirk stretching the too-red lips.

“I have heard what you think in the night, by the way.” Charles said and his smirk grew at the choked off noise Erik produced at that. “Your dreams are even more entertaining, just so you know. I think I might be-“ There was this caress over his ankle again. “-persuaded to join you in bed.”

Erik exhaled slowly and reached over the table to the other man. Charles met him halfway there, catching his fingers in a strong grip and sliding their lips together, swallowing a soft moan that escaped Erik. He wasn’t sure what definition of persuasion they had in hell or wherever, but clearly it wasn’t the same as on mortal Earth, if Charles’ enthusiastic participation in the kiss was any indication.

Eventually, Erik had to push the man away slightly, gasping for breath and looking dazed at Charles who looked as calm and composed as before they started. Before he could blink, he was laying sprawled on his bed with a pleasant weight of another body over his thighs. That maddening tail slid slowly under his shirt and he looked up at the ceiling while Charles leant down and nuzzled his throat.

Maybe there was something to that demon business.

As a member of academia Erik was fully prepared to conduct few experiments regaining power and psychology of a demon. All for scientific good of course.

Charles quickly shut that thought process up by kissing him while flicking the tip of his tail over his nipple.


	3. XMFC: Djin/Genies

Charles blinked but the spectrum before his eyes didn’t disappear. If anything, it became even more scowly and he took a cautious step sideways, sliding behind the kitchen counter and Sean sitting there eating his cereal. At least he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t take his eyes away from that something in their living room.

“Dude,” Sean said, spoon clanking loudly into his bowl “did I get high and didn’t notice or what?”

“Well, I’m not high and I still can see it so I doubt it has anything to do with your state of mind, Sean.” Alex says irritated from the doorway, his hair still dump from the shower, and at any other moment Charles would chide him for risking his health like this, but he’s a little bit preoccupied with staring.

The thing resembles a man, main difference being that in place of legs it has, well, a swirl of smoke that leads down to-

“I just bought it! Now I have to find something else to give to my mom!” Charles whines and has a moment of blind panic, because his mother’s birthday is only three days away and finding this apparently priceless renaissance lamp was hard enough.

There was suddenly three pairs of judgmental stares trained on him and he ducked behind the fridge door, blushing to the tips of his ears. It wasn’t his fault he cared about things like that. He took out one of the ready to microwave dinners and started it eating it cold from the plastic container, going back to staring across the room and their weird guest.

He could admit that if it had legs, it would make a rather gorgeous man, just Charles’ type. Lean, with light hair, piercing grey eyes and strong square jaw. But it wasn’t human. And it seemed to be done with waiting for any of them to react with anything other than staring, because it moved a hand over its face and looked heavenward before speaking.

“Stop thinking of me as ‘it’, it’s annoying, I’m fully male, thank you very much.” Was it- his first words and Charles noticed that all of them flushed simultaneously which made him feel a little better about himself. “Which one of you, intellectual geniuses summoned me?” The man asked then and the reaction was instant. All of them dropped everything to point at anyone else, Charles feeling a little guilty because it was his lamp after all.

The man’s shoulders slumped and Charles pretended he didn’t feel guilty about that, when he just swirled and disappeared back in the lamp.

“I hope you’re not planning on giving it to your mom anymore.” Sean said and Charles stood close enough to slap him upside the head for that.


	4. Avengers: Dragons

The dragon’s lair was nothing like Sir Steven was used to, no riches, no gold, and the most important part, no weeping princesses, tied and waiting to be eaten. That last thing threw him off a little as he was sent here to subdue a beast that has taken King’s daughter, supposedly to consumer her after goading her with freedom and rescue for few days. Maybe this dragon wasn’t a traditionalist and has already eating his catch. Steven didn’t look forward to telling that to the king, but these things happened. More often now than years before, dragons finally catching up on a fact that if they goaded people with rescue there was a chance that someone would come and rescue the damsels for real. And then no dinner, if they were lucky to get out of trouble alive.

But still, he would be really lousy knight if he didn’t check the whole caves. Just because there was no one, and nothing which was almost as worrying because dragons were hoarders and every one of them had some riches to show off, in the main cavern, it didn’t mean the whole mountain was empty. Except it apparently was, which was proven by a very long and very frustrating trek around the tunnels. There was nothing, not even a trace that there was a dragon there at any point in time. Sir Steven had a feeling he was just being pranked when he stumbled upon the last cave, full of ice and glowing crystals and the only entrance, the one he just went through, disappeared.

It was worse than a prank, it was a trap. Steven sighed to himself and sat down, prepared to wait for someone to come for him for a change. He wasn’t going to waste his energy on trying to dig his way out. No matter how good he was with a sword or how strong, there were just things he couldn’t fight against. Magic was one of them and disappearing doors and glowing crystals gave him an idea that it just might be it. It was probably Red Knight and his loyal Wizard of Zola anyway and they always took into account his special abilities. Even since the century away when they had their first battle.

Still, he breathed out a relief when soon enough a red glow of his friend’s magic appeared in the middle of the room. He was starting to get cold and that was never a good sign. He could withstand extreme temperatures and the last time he got cold he woke up seventy years after so he wasn’t keen on repeating the performance. Anthony stomped out of the portal, looking displeased and pouty. Steven could vaguely recall the man grumbling something about not hearing about any dragons in this neighbourhood and to just let him check it out before staging any rescue missions, but he didn’t listen exactly. Princesses were eaten faster nowadays and he didn’t have time to spare for research of all things. And that’s exactly what landed him in this situation.

“So no princesses, huh?” He asked with a sheepish smile and watched Anthony open his mouth few times to answer him, every time closing it again with a barely repressed sounds of frustration.

“Home. Now.” Was the eventual reply and he slunk through the portal, curling a little into himself, because he knew his friend was really mad and that never bid good for him or for anything else nearby.

But it was only after the door to the magician’s room shut before his nose without anything more that he knew he was in real trouble. Mad Anthony was one thing, but the silent one was even more deadly, because you knew he was really angry. Steven shuffled guiltily under the door for a moment, debating knocking and apologizing before turning and going back to his quarters. He screwed up, but he wasn’t going to fix it easily. Might as well think of a plan first.


	5. Avengers: Elves

“Your ears are pointy.”

“And Thor is suddenly a midget, but I don’t see you pointing that out!” Tony shouted, losing his patience with the ridiculous situation. It wasn’t enough that some fan of Dragons and Dungeons got himself magical power and changed the whole city into one big game, and Tony got turned into and elf, as if he wasn’t better suited to be a knight or a paladin or a wizard or anything else than pointy eared bow slinging waif.

Even Clint was a rogue.

And now to add insult to injury, Steve was poking fun at him too. No, it wasn’t enough that the guy was a knight himself, all donned into expensive looking leather and with his shield firmly strapped to his back. Tony didn’t have any of his weapons, and sure, somehow magically he knew now how to shot with a bow, but it wasn’t the same.

He missed his repulsors.

“As far as I understand it, we have to complete the quest before getting to our magician and changing everything back.” Natasha said swinging down next to him from where she was perched on the branch on one of the trees growing on the side of the street instead of lamp posts. Her healer skirt swished around her ankles and it was one more time that Tony realized their mastermind must be deranged.

He could get why Steve was a knight and Bruce got stuck with an ogre, what with Hulk and all. He could even let it slide that Clint got a cool class like rogue, he really could. But the rest of their team got assigned to seemingly random roles. He was an elf for science’s sake, for one. Natasha would rather kill anyone than heal normally, and Thor was a dwarf. Six foot something guy with no inside voice and ability to create lightning and now he didn’t even reach Tony’s thigh.

They had to fix it soon.

They started walking slowly to the newly created forest, in mutual agreement that the faster they get there the faster they’ll get back home in their normal state. Tony could feel someone’s gaze stubbornly on his face though and he turned only to come face to face with Steve. Again.

“At least your hair’s still short.” Was another one of the man’s comment and Tony could feel his blood boil.

“I swear to everything that’s holy that if you say anything else about my appearance you’ll get an arrow to the knee!”

“Hey!” Clint sounded offended from the trees. “You said I couldn’t make that reference when I had a bow! Not fair!”

Tony could feel that it would be a long journey.


	6. Avengers: Fae/Fairies

Tony was pretty sure he was going to laugh himself sick. It wasn’t a good idea to ever be sick in the suit, but right now he didn’t particularly care, he just couldn’t stop. Thor was standing by his side, his expression perplexed, but amused, the only one besides the Iron Man unaffected by whatever magical fairy dust these witches sprayed over them all.

Fairy dust, ha. Sometimes, he was surprised at how funny he could be. Being enclosed in an air-tight tin suit was sometimes better than anything else. Well, it was always better than being in the battlefield in any other state, but it was the most clear where there was biological attack involved. Air filters and the fact that nothing went in the suit without his permission, not even dust, made it pretty good defence against anything villains wanted to throw at him.

Thor was apparently immune, because he was just that awesome.

Other members of their team didn’t have the same amount of luck, all of them sparkling in the sun and sporting pairs of thin gossamer wings on their backs. And they were tiny. Not even midget tiny, but close you in my palm and let you bath in my tea cup tiny. And that was not an image Tony needed if he wanted to stop laughing any time soon and stop Cap from burning a hole in his suit with the power of his glare alone.

It took him a while, but he got himself under control, the witches long ago subdued by their private demigod and being escorted to the high security prison by sniggering SHIELD agents. Quick conversation with Fury over the com revealed that they would be updated with any information about reversing Avengers to their original size and form.

Not a nice reminder that the fairies fluttering in the air and grumbling under their breath were actually people Tony counted on to have his back in the battlefield. The situation suddenly became much less funny. He sighed and rung Richards, just to make sure Fantastic Four was in town and not another dimension if there was any help needed during the time Avengers were still miniaturised. He also politely pretended he couldn’t hear offended voice of Captain America talking his ear off about how they could still be useful in the field.

As a live bait maybe.

The situation wasn’t ideal and they were all benched for two weeks while the spell or whatever you could call it run its course and everyone came back to normal. He could still admit that it was kind of worth it just to see tiny Steve taking a bath in Tony’s favourite coffee mug.

He might even have a footage saved on his private server and tagged “cutie pie”. Not that anyone would ever find out about this, he didn’t have just that much of a suicide wish.


	7. Avengers: Fairy Tales

Steve was asleep again.

It wasn’t as funny as it had been when the whole thing started. They were fighting a covenant of witches in the Central Park and Tony was cursing Halloween looming over them under his breath, quiet enough that the com couldn’t pick it up if he didn’t want it to. Captain had really attitude about losing their breath for anything than discussing strategy during the battle. Meaning, they weren’t basically allowed to talk unless they wanted to risk the wrath of America going down on them during debriefing. Tony could tell you from his personal experience that it was no entertaining at all.

All of them were already on edge about spells and enchantments, all magical people in New York seeming to come out of the woods in that time of apparently heightened spiritual atmosphere. It was all a load of bullshit if you wanted to ask Tony about his opinion, which everyone stopped doing after his third rant about why technology was superior than magic, seeing as it could be made better at any time in the year and not only at the end of October. Well, everyone but Cap, who seemed to find it to amusing to pass any chance to get Tony go on the tangent. It was kind of cute to be honest.

But anyway, witches, wizard, magicians etc. It was third covenant they have fought in the last week alone. And still they kept coming. He could see Hawkeye losing his patience with arrows and just hitting one of the witches over her head with his bow to the point when she was screaming and cursing blue streak, none of her words connected to a spell in any way. Apparently even magic users didn’t like to be clubbed over the head with reinforced steel.

Thor was looking in bafflement at the witch before him, who was apparently trying to put some kind of distracting spell on him. It seemed to work in that way that the ineffectuality of it stunned their neighbourhood demigod into inactivity. Where these people even doing their homework? What kind of an idiot tried to put a low level spell on someone who grew up with fucking Loki, god of lies and hallucinations? Seriously, the guy’s brother made the whole New York think everything was made of spaghetti for two hours and no one found it weird until they went hungry and tried to bit something.

Going back to the story, this was probably around the time when the main heathen screeched with rage, barely avoiding being hit with flying shield and just broke her wand over good Captain’s head. To her and everyone’s surprise it exploded into a rain of blue sparkles and Tony looked over in horror as Steve’s eyes fluttered close and his body crumpled to the ground at the witch’s feet. The woman made a sound of such horror that even Tony felt bad for her for a while. She crumbled next to Steve and tried to wake him up, but to no avail.

The villains in this city started being more and more annoying as the time went on. If you weren’t prepared to hurt anybody, you should have just stuck to your day job, was Tony’s opinion. He was at Steve’s side in a blink, disposing with his own adversary easily now that they all were stunned by their apparent victory over Captain America. Steve was alive, even if he was sleeping deep enough that nothing, not even a special chemical salts that Tony stored in the suit for occasions like this could wake him up.

It took SHIELD two days to determine that Captain was apparently under a curse no different than the one in the Sleeping Beauty tale. So that just left them to find Steve’s True Love so he could be awoken sooner rather than later. Tony wasn’t even going to imagine what was going to happen if they couldn’t break the spell and Steve was left to sleep through another century, when he barely finished acclimating to this one. When he wasn’t going to have Avengers to support him. When he didn’t have Tony.

He didn’t want to think about spending the next forty or so years of his own without Steve by his side.

So, True Love, right. This couldn’t be hard, could it? Wrong. After two weeks and making sure every one of Steve’s ex girlfriends planted one on him, the man was still deeply asleep in his bed in the Tower. They even made sure Sharon Carter was recalled from her station in Germany just to try and wake him up. Her and Steve dated for almost a year before they concluded they weren’t working out and if someone was going to work on this stupid spell, it was probably going to be her.

But she came, kissed and nothing happened. Tony was going to pretend he didn’t see the disappointment flashing over Sharon’s pretty face. She wasn’t the only one who wanted to have Steve’s for herself and not having the feeling returned. That was something Tony was not thinking about however, because that led him to bad life decisions.

He briefly contemplated building time machine and maybe bringing Steve’s war time sweetheart to kiss and wake him, but he was forbidden from doing it even before he voiced the idea. Apparently time continuum and something something Fury was being boring, was more important to the world than the fact that Captain America woke up from the nap. Tony personally disagreed, but there were things needed for the machine to run that he couldn’t acquire without SHIELD’s help, so that option was out.

And that left him sitting at Steve’s bedside as any of their female acquaintances, and some of the male ones who wanted to try their lack or just plant one of Captain America, came in, kissed and went out. It was a very miserable existence indeed. He was going to figure out how to preserve his brain and personality in the robot if they wouldn’t wake Steve up soon.


	8. Avengers: Hauntings

“It’s a ghost.”

“Um-“ It took a lot to make even Tony Stark speechless and Steve was just once more reminded why that was. It was just highly unusual that someone got to surprise the man. But this guy managed.

He watched as one more of Hawkeye’s arrows went right through the body floating above the street beneath them and pinched the bridge of his nose annoyed.

“Hawkeye, could you please stop? It’s not doing anything and you’re going to have to clean it up later.” He said through clenched teeth and pretended not to notice Clint’s pout. Some of his teammates very often acted like an overgrown children. It didn’t make him feel any younger, and he already had problems with age.

“If anyone makes even a vague reference to Ghost Busters I will shoot.” Tony growled into the com and Steve sighed heavily. They all hated things they couldn’t hit, but it was the worst with Tony sometimes. He had the moods when only the good fight could take tension off of his shoulders and the lack of it made him only tenser.

In the meantime the figure that was scaring half of the New York since morning was slowly floating down the street, seemingly unaware of anything that surrounded it. Once more Steve questioned sanity of his fellow citizens, who weren’t afraid to stand and videotape the fight between Hulk and Abomination, but at the sight of something that wasn’t even trying to hurt them they completely lost their heads.

There was a scuffle on a nearby roof that could only be Hawkeye picking on Thor and then being picked up in change, which happened more often than Steve was willing to admit. He ignored the murmurings in his com and concentrated on the matter at hand. No matter what, they had to get rid of the apparition somehow.

“Are you sure you don’t know how to catch it?” He asked Tony once again with a sigh, Iron Man’s metal fingers closing around his hip almost painfully for a moment before relaxing. That’s a no then, and faintly irritated at that. He promised himself to take the other man to the gym after the mission and help him let go of some of that steam, if nothing else than as an apology for repeating the same question three times to him.

Just then the order to retreat came to them from the SHIELD, Fury adding that Strange was going to take care of the ghost more efficiently than any of them could. Steve winced even before the metal fingers tightened again. Even he was going to have a bruise there if it was going to continue like that.

He was dropped without a word on the roof of the mansion and he watched Iron Man’s retreating back. There goes their gym time. Steve wondered only where was Tony going, fingers unconsciously caressing the bruise he could feel forming under his uniform. If he knew his luck, probably to visit some lady friend and let go of the tension he was carrying without Steve.

Pity.


	9. XMFC: Animal turned into a human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by a pair of pictures on tumblr at this address: http://aqueoushumor.tumblr.com/post/36186694194/the-magnificent-mogneto-never-let-his-newly

The morning light was streaming into his room through the open curtains and Charles groaned into his pillow, everything of his aching. He felt like he had an unpleasant meeting with some truck, but considering the pulsing throb behind his eyelids it was only a hangover. The worst things was he couldn’t exactly remember much of the party, just that it continued later on his room, him and his wine alone.  
And Erik, but the cat hardly counted as a drinking company seeing as the last time Charles accidentally poured some whisky into his bowl, the poor cat was throwing up for three days. The stuff needed the acquired taste it seemed.

It took him a moment to realize there was something heavy pressing him into the bed and that was the reason why he couldn’t breathe in as deeply as he wanted to.  
“I can’t feel my legs.” He mumbled moodily into his pillow somehow hoping that whatever laid on him would be kind enough to move. No such luck however.  
There was a vague image of Loki swimming in front of his eyes and he might have made some questionably smart deal with the guy. There was a rumour the foreign student was a magician of some sort, but Charles was a scientist. He didn’t believe in magic.

It didn’t change the fact that he could see something resembling a big fluffy tail from the corner of his eye. It curled around his arm in an innocently possessive gesture and for some reason it made him think about the way Erik always looped his soft tail around Charles’ wrist whenever he slept on his lap.  
He was just deciding if moving and facing whatever happened yesterday was worth the pain it would produce (so far the answer was a sure no) when the weight on top of him rolled over and stretched. Charles was presented with a view of a toned stomach and muscled chest and he reached his hand to pet absently even before his brain realized what was going on.

There was stranger in his bed.

Charles leapt out of the bed with a shriek, headache be damned and promptly fell over on his ass, blankets tangling around his ankles. Curious head peeked over the edge at him and that’s when he realized that whoever the man was he has cat ears on his head. Real ones and not like ones on the headband too.  
The man crawled down over him and nuzzled first under his jaw and then his temple, making use of the fact that Charles seemed to be unable to move. And that’s when he noticed the collar with a name plague hanging from the man’s neck.

“Erik.” He croaked out, his throat feeling tighter than it should. It was apparently enough to make the man happy because he curled back on Charles’ chest and started purring.

Whatever he did yesterday on that party, he had a feeling he was going to reap the consequences now. Debate over the realness of magic with Loki swarmed somewhere in the depths of his aching brain and the man’s words “We’ll see what you’ll say tomorrow.” Floated out into the air.  
Charles was so utterly fucked. He had to fix it somehow.  
But first, he had to find some Advil.


	10. Avengers: Immortals

There was a row of grave stones where once stood benches and grew plants, each of them wearing a name of one of the heroes. They were all Avengers at some point in time, ready to lay their life in the service to the people of their country. They all eventually did, some later than the others. Clint Barton of all people were the one who managed to grow into retirement age before disappearing from the radars completely. The rumour had it that he simply went into the hiding, but now, fifty years after the fact he was probably as dead as the rest of them. Hence the headstone.

Steve will never get used to burying his friend and comrades. He didn’t think anyone should be able to, because as long as they were human they should care. When he woke up almost century ago, man seventy years out of his time, he thought that was it. He lost everyone he knew, but at least this time he would grow old and die together with his new friends, his new family.

He couldn’t be more wrong.

They haven’t noticed at first that he wasn’t changing. Somehow, it went over their heads that when Tony’s temples were turning silver and all of them acquired more wrinkles on their faces, teasing each other about every one, he stayed the same. It occurred to him only one morning when he woke up and realized he was the only one up in the mansion, the aging bodies of his teammates needing more time to rest than before.

He stood in the kitchen, looking out at the city that he saw changing from year to year and tried to focus on anything else than the way his heart was so painfully beating in his chest. He knew then in that very moment that he was going to bury them all. He would have to say his goodbyes and move on, find new team and maybe even new friends. Just like last time, the only difference being he hadn’t slept through their lives this time. He watched them grow older and happier, he saw little Dani taking her first steps and go to her first school, get her first boyfriend.

He should have realized sooner.

But he didn’t and that’s how he ended up looking at the graves of his family, forever young and immortal as long as he didn’t let anyone kill him. And he was not a fool enough to do that.

Warm hand slipped into his and Tony put his chin on his shoulder, giving the measure of comfort he could, knowing that there was nothing much he could do or say to make Steve feel better about losing everyone. The man was entirely grey now, but his eyes were still the same sparkling blue Steve remembered from the days long gone. It wouldn’t be long before he lost Tony too and that hurt more than anything before.

He took a chance, that morning, when he finally understood he didn’t have forever with these people. He went to Tony and kissed him right in the doorway to his bedroom. They were together for over half a century now and although whatever was Tony doing in his workshop gave him some extra years amongst the living, it wouldn’t be forever. It was clear from the state of his body.

Steve was not looking forward to putting up another marble headstone.

For now, he just curled around the frail body of his partner and listened to the heart beating in tandem to his own. He’ll lose it soon enough and he was going to get as much as he could before then.


	11. XMFC: Magic

“Charles, you seriously need to stop.” Raven said from right behind him causing him to jump in surprise. He needed to put a tracking spell on her or something.

Charles sighed and let himself be led away from the Quiditch field when he was innocently observing Ravenclaw’s team training. He wasn’t doing anything wrong, it’s not as if he was spying to get the strategies to his team or something. He hardly understood what was going on the field besides the fact that everyone tried to not fall off their brooms and Erik was flying behind a snitch with a rather bored expression on his face. Apparently he wasn’t allowed to catch it before the training ended.

Erik Lehnsherr was the sole reason Charles stalked the Quiditch field and his sister was very aware of that. Which was one of the reasons she didn’t let him linger for long periods of time usually. Raven was under the impression that if Erik was ever allowed near Charles, he would eat the smaller man and then claim that Charles jumped his throat on his own will. It probably would be true too.

It still didn’t stop him from coming to the next training where he discovered apparent lack of anyone from the team. He was about to turn around disappointed and confused when someone put a hand on his shoulder, almost causing him to have a heart attack on the spot. He turned around with trepidation only to came face to face with the object of his affections.

Charles had a crush on Erik even since their second year when the other boy saved him from Cain and his band of bullies on the way to the Halloween feast. The training stalking came only in fourth year when Charles befriended Moira who was kind enough to present him with the information when did her team was meeting. She had never lied to him before.

And now Charles stood before rather annoyed looking Erik, his face burning slowly with blush and didn’t know what to do. He could do admiration from afar, and he was pretty good at flirting with girls now, but the sight of Erik so close still left him tongue tied and flustered more than he wanted to admit. He ducked his head and decided to just admire the other boy’s shoes until he decided to go away when Erik spoke.

“If you were spying on us, Hufflepuff team would have more chances at winning with us than they have for the last few years so why are you here? Again might I add.”

“Um-“ Charles answered intelligently, desperately looking for any kind of excuse why would he be skulking behind the bleachers and watching Erik fly over the field.

“He’s been coming here for you, so please put him and all of us his friends out of misery and take him take him to Hogsmeade this weekend.” Moira’s voice sounded behind Erik and the man turned with a surprised noise. She was wearing her Captain’s clothes and giving them both decidedly unimpressed looks.

Charles felt like he was going to burn from the force of his blush. Moira looked at them for a moment before rolling her eyes and striding to the field, leaving them alone once again. Not that it was much help anyway.

“So, do you want to go somewhere with me on Saturday? Like, on a date?” Charles said, deciding that he might as well bite the bullet now that the cat was out of the bag.

“I’ll think about it.” Was Erik’s reply after he gave Charles a long, measuring look and he too went to the field to go about his training.

Charles really hoped the answer was going to be yes.


	12. XMFC: Mutants

Mutants were majority of a world’s population, according to the newest surveys being more than 85% of human beings on Earth. This gave them power, gave them liberty to be oppressors instead of oppressed like it was for several past centuries before people finally realized simple powerless human were going extinct, mutants being born to human powers more often than not. There was a variety of powers, mutations raging from physical and mental to simply decorative, the newest fashion declaring colourful skin and scales the newest trend.

 

Sadly, Charles Xavier was not one of the privileged powerful beings. His mother was an empath and his father had a power of telekinesis, his sister’s skin blue and scaly, giving her the ability to become whoever she wanted to be on every day. When he was born and the doctors decided the lack of X-gene in his genetic structure, the whole family was shocked. He was almost certain that if it wasn’t for his father’s kind heart he would be given away to the adoption house, where he would have no chance of ever finding family or a decent future, human children so rarely being chosen by prospective parents.

Instead he grew up in the mansion in Westchester surrounded by people with extraordinary powers and reminded at every step by his mother how useless he was, a shame to the whole family. When he was six he started understanding enough to make himself as scarce as possible, venturing out of his room for the meals and lessons only. His teacher, Doctor McCoy was a big blue and furry cat person with extraordinary strength and agility, but he was also a kind soul that didn’t look down on Charles just because he lacked one sequence in his DNA code. He was very similar to Charles’ dad in this and the boy wondered sometimes if it was something common in the scientific community.

The dream he had, while under the tutelage of kind doctor and the wing of his father was to be a part of that community, learn everything he could about biology and chemistry, go to the university and make his father proud. The only problem being that most of the universities stopped accepting non-mutants years ago and the ones that didn’t, weren’t exactly the best place for young man yearning knowledge. So Charles accepted his faith of being housebound for the rest of his life, free only in what he chose to familiarize himself with. He helped his father in experiments when he was old enough to, but without doctorate he would never be part of the crowd so he kept to himself still, his only company books and Raven when she decided she had a fancy of visiting him.

When he was twenty Raven found the other part of her soulbond in the tall mutant from Russia called Azazel, his red skin jarring contrast to her pretty blue scales. Charles personally wasn’t a fan of the man, but the bond was a sacred thing and Raven was clearly besotted, not worrying about where did the man came from or why he was so cagey about everything. The first time Charles ventured out to meet him he was met with a cold glare and derision, his outstretched hand ignored while the man turned his back on him and spoke to his sister in angry Russian.

Charles didn’t have to be a genius he was to know that it had something to do with him being human. Apparently his sister’s fiancé was one of these mutants that put the theory of homo superior above the evolution one. It was too bad that he wouldn’t be able to see Raven from now on probably, but it’s not as if they were close. She always strayed close to the theory herself, keeping away only because of their father. Now she didn’t have to worry about it, the only approval she needed the one of her partner. It was sad to see her go, but Charles was used to being alone so it didn’t faze him all that much.

Still, he had to attend the wedding, because it was a family obligation. He kept close to his father and doctor McCoy, pretending not to see the expectant glances of people around him, apparently waiting for him to show off his powers whatever they might be. Most of them realized half way into the evening that there wasn’t going to be any and didn’t venture close to their table. Charles has never felt so small in his life. One could get use to being thought of as something less than others, but it never hurt to being faced with it in such quantities.

He was just refilling his father’s glass at the refreshment’s table, wanting to have something to do with his hand when a small body bumped into his legs from behind. He steadied the glass before putting it down and turning, surprised to see a girl about six years old, her brown curls falling from where they were pinned up on their head and her blue eyes filled with tears. She sniffled and curled her hands tighter in his trousers, apparently not wanting to let go and he had to coax her hands open with soft words and caressing touches.

It took him a while to calm her down enough to be able to tell him what happened. Apparently she was harassed by other children at the party because she wasn’t mutant and Charles felt a twinge of sympathy for her. He had it easier, because his father effectively shielded him from what would be a very painful childhood, but it seemed that whoever her parents were, they were in no position to do her the same kindness. He took the abandoned glass and steered her to their table, explaining the situation to his father after passing him the full glass. Brian nodded in understanding and made sure there was a chair brought for the little lady.

They were playing “I spy” together, Wanda, the little girl, giggling next to him, crying forgotten, when there were shouts of her name, sounding worried and a little panicked already. There was a glint of gold from the crowd and Charles froze, recognizing the figure looking for his daughter and realizing that for the last two hours he was babysitting a princess of Genosha, a small island country on the Atlantic, not very far away from the coast of New York. It was said that the country was mutant only, humans allowed only under very special circumstances.

Charles looked at the small girl beside him, who didn’t really look as if she wanted to follow the voice of her father, despite the fact that the man’s voice was clear indication that he cared for his daughter. It wasn’t enough though, it would never be enough if she was forced to live in a place like Genosha where she almost certainly was treated as a second grade citizen, even if she was the daughter of a king.

It couldn’t be avoided though, and the man finally spotted her small figure, almost running towards their table, another small child propped on his hip. Charles squeezes fingers of the small hand, smiling commiserating at Wanda and she smiled back shakily, the tears back in her eyes and he ached for how fast she had to grow up to understand what that simple gesture meant. He couldn’t imagine a worse fate than hers in this new world.

That is, until he looked up into the eyes of the monarch and felt a tale-telling tug under his heart, the bond calling to its other half. He paled and leant back, eyes widening and moving away from the touch that the king extended to him. There could always be a worse fate waiting.


	13. Avengers: Myth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a sequel to the "Deity/Higher Power" drabble, but can be read separately. I just cannot leave well alone happy things.

Steve was gone. It wasn’t like his usual gone either when he just went out without word to explore the new world he found himself in, and not left a note or said anything, just because it didn’t occur to him that these were the things you did usually when you were living with someone and they could possibly start worrying about you if you were gone for too long. This time it was something more serious, all of Steve’s things gone, together with one of the suitcases Tony had in his storage for the rare occasions when he let Pepper persuade him to travel outside the city limits.

Tony knew he was panicking, but there was nothing else for him to do. He couldn’t exactly give chase, because if Steve wanted to be gone he could be on the other side of the world with one thought, no troubles. So Tony was left sitting in his apartment, alone for the first time in months and listen to the oppressive silence coming at him from every corner, reminding him that there is a presence there missing.

It’s hard not to feel it. Steve wasn’t the most talkative person, often just sitting somewhere to the side and brooding quietly, but somehow Tony got used to that kind of silence, the one where it’s because someone chooses not to say anything and not because there is no one there to break it. And now the lack of sound was pressing at him from all directions, making him dizzy, his eyes stinging with something he didn’t want to name.

He thought they were doing, getting closer to each other, starting to become friends. Yeah, they started out as glorified fuck buddies, since this was pretty much Tony’s operational standard and Steve needed something raw and physical to ground himself in this new world that he thought he didn’t belong in. But he liked to think their relationship changed through the months Steve was here, they got to know each other and Tony got to like the maddening deity living in his bedroom.

Maybe that was the problem. Maybe Steve got finally fed up with Tony not treating him like a god he was and went to search for some more worthy minions or something. Not that Tony couldn’t worship him in his own way, but there were things he was unable to give anyone, let alone someone who was immortal and pretty much perfect in every way like Steve. Only he wasn’t Steve at all, was he?

The god had a different name, one that Tony refused to use out of sheer stubbornness and because it reminded him painfully how much of a mortal he himself was. Apparently it was a mistake. He didn’t have a chance for the god to understand that, how hard it could be to live with the knowledge that he could die at any moment, the only thing keeping him going his secretary and responsibilities to his employees. There was something that immortal beings would never quite grasp. Maybe it was better the god left after all.

Give it few weeks, more or less and the silence would disappear where it belonged. Tony would get used to living alone and sharing his bed with random strangers as often as he possibly could get away with, not having the second cup waiting to be washed in the sink and no extra towels hanging in the bathroom. He got used to it after Natasha dumped him right before their wedding and he would get used to it now.

No matter that he’s probably never loved Natasha as much as he learnt to love the god that was living in his apartment for all these months. No one would know that by him, and maybe soon he wouldn’t have to worry about heartbreak at all. After all, his life was already set on a timer, it was stupid of him to expect to live the rest of his days peaceful and somewhat happy. Nothing in his life to this point was ever these two things, why should he expected it to start now.

What he needed was alcohol and lots of it to numb the thoughts swirling around in his head. But he could vividly remember the god pouring out every liquor he had in the house into the sink with an expression like the liquid personally offended him by existing. What did Tony know, maybe it did, some sort of pagan god of drunkenness probably being the blonde’s mortal enemy or something of that kind. Besides, the new medicine he got two weeks ago was strictly forbidden with being mixed with any sort of alcoholic beverages.

Normally Tony wouldn’t agree to such change, but he figured that since he wasn’t drinking anyway and he had Steve there would be no problem with wanting to have a whisky poured down his throat. He just didn’t took into the equation that he didn’t really have the god. And now he was left alone on his couch, no alcohol, no one to cheer him up with sex, and no strength to go out.

Might as well close his eyes and take a nap then. Maybe his eyes would stop stinging.


	14. XMFC: Selkies

There was some sort of pelt on his doorstep.

It didn’t even look all that valuable or nice, pale and kind of slick to the touch. It was just laying there when he went out to get his morning newspaper. Erik walked around it carefully, mindful not to slip on it and retrieved what he went out for, ducking into his house as fast as he could. Who knew what kind of weirdo went around people’s porches and left them pelts.

Erik moved to his parents’ beach house three months ago when he decided to take a break from the city, tired of the constant noise and non privacy the apartment in New York provided. This place was where he spent the happiest moments of his childhood and it didn’t change at all. Still serene, quiet, peaceful. Everything he needed to finish that project he needed to submit to Emma by the end of the year if he wanted to secure himself a place in her gallery in the next season.

The only noise he could hear in the morning was barking of seals, and though it was quite irritating he would exchange the honking of cars and sounds of constructions for it at any given moment. And observing the silly plays of the animals on the shore was more entertaining anyway than watching cars from his window. He spent many afternoons since he moved just sitting on the rock and watching seals splash into the waves and roll on the sand. Sometimes, he had a feeling like they were watching him right back, with his pack of chocolates and his sketchbook on his knees. It usually passed, Erik too old to entertain thoughts about thinking animals.

The pelt was still there in the afternoon when he went out for his usual walk. He wasn’t sure what to with it so he picked it up, blinking at the silky feel to the fur. It wasn’t slick anymore, the water having apparently evaporated sometime during the warm day. It was actually very nice to touch and Erik stroke the edge over his cheek with a hum before realizing what he was doing and hanging it over the balustrade, blushing lightly.

It was after he returned from his walk that he got an extra surprise. There was a naked man standing on his porch, arms crossed and glaring at the pelt hanging as innocently over the painted wood as it has when Erik was leaving the house. He debated not coming closer, maybe taking a longer walk, but something was telling him that he couldn’t evade the issue for long.

“Excuse me?” He approached the house hesitantly. “What are you doing on my porch?” Erik asked and watched as the man turned, his face clearing into a bright smile.

“You’re here!” The man exhaled and Erik took a step back in surprise. The stranger apparently not only recognized him, but was also waiting for him, which was very worrying. He wasn’t a bad looking lad, pale but freckled, strong muscles visible in his shoulders and thighs. He had chocolate wavy hair and a pair of the most striking blue eyes Erik has ever seen. It took him a moment to realize he was staring and he turned his head with a cough, feeling his face heat again.

“Who are you again?” He asked, fidgeting with the strap of his bag.

“Why don’t you want my pelt?” The man countered, his stance shifting into the defensive one, his tone taking on offended notes.

Erik blinked and looked from the man to the pelt and back, not comprehending for a moment. And then the tales his mom used to spin to him before bed came back to his mind, stories about selkies, man and woman who wore skin of seals when they wanted and shedded it when they didn’t. If he was going to believe what the man was telling him, the tales were more than simple stories. The problem was that in every tale Erik remember the fishermen were the one who stole pelts, capturing the creatures and binding them to the men without their consent.

No one was ever offered one.

Erik wasn’t sure what to do, so he did what his mother always did in the moment of uncertainty. He invited the stranger for a cup of coffee. The man grinned at him happily and shoved the sun warmed pelt into his arms before skipping inside the house. He had a great ass.

Well, it seemed that Erik was in quite a trouble.


	15. XMFC: Sirens

“What even is that thing?” Erik yelled to his first mate, trying to steer the ship away from the rocks ahead. The current was strong, but it wouldn’t be a problem for Erik if he could only get his crew to work.

It didn’t seem like it was going to happen any time soon though, considering the almost drunken expressions and the fact Raven had to run between the bodies and tie them together with a rope to the ship so they wouldn’t fall overboard. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but looking at the woman’s sure movements, Raven had at least some knowledge of the situation.

“Raven, dammit!” Erik yelled again and the woman finally turned, having secured Janos to the mast, the length of rope holding his crew together like some kind of pearl necklace. She jogged to the wheel and gripped it together with him, the current nothing now for their shared strength.

Soon enough they were out of danger, water around them clear and bright, wind suddenly quiet. Everyone started to move and blink, as if they were waking up from a long dream and Erik turned to his first mate again with a question on his lips. He hasn’t been Captain for a long time now, but he has experienced some of the weirdness of the sea. This was the first time he saw something like that happening though.

Raven gave him a nasty look and signed “Sirens”, her hands more clumsy with the words they were making than usual. At his blank look she added “Sea creatures. Sing to drown men, very dangerous.” and then shaken off her wrists as if disgusted to ever had to spell about these creatures. She stomped down the stairs and slapped Azazel upside the head, apparently irritated with him for falling for the spell of some monsters.

Erik saw them alright, creatures that were less human than bird, with only faces of women on the large bird like bodies. But he didn’t know before what they were and he supposed it made sense that they would tempt the sailors with the song, it would explain why he himself didn’t lost his mind like most of his crew. They were out of danger now so Erik decided put the creatures out of his mind, not keen on reliving something that might have killed them all.

~*~

It was night time already when Erik went around the deck, checking that everything was in place and that there wasn’t any structural damage to the ship after all. It was then that he noticed the shadow of something swimming under surface of the sea near his vessel. He leant overboard and had just enough time to look into the pair of clear blue eyes before jerking back as if stung.

A mermaid.

He knew what that was, after all it was thanks to the creature like this that the only person he could communicate with was Raven. He met one years ago when he was still wet behind the ears crew member on Hellfire . He heard a beautiful song one night while on patrol and leant on the side of the ship, wondering where it was coming from. It was then that strong arms closed around his neck and pulled him under water, the mermaid’s smile full of pointy teeth and her arms like vice around his shoulders.

He thought she was going to eat him or at least kill him. Instead she swam closer, her tails winding around his legs like an embrace and opened her mouth near his face. And then she screamed. Before Erik registered the pain he was screaming too, sea water pushing into his lungs and blood trailing from his ears, everything suddenly gone deadly silent.

If it wasn’t for Azazel he would probably be dead already.

And now there was another creature like that, only waiting for someone to pull underwater. He would rather die than let her take anyone from his crew. The gun wasn’t hard to find and in a minute he was leaning over the side again, the shadow moving close still. And then it resurfaced.

Erik It said and he heard it somehow, its voice low and melodious. He couldn’t pull the trigger, mesmerized by the blue eyes of the creature and that soft voice whispering warm words to him. It was such a long time since he heard anything. It wasn’t even a mermaid, but a merman, his skin glowing in the moonlight and his arms extended towards the deck, towards Erik.

I’m sorry, love. I was waiting for you. Come to me, my dearest. The merman whispered without opening his mouth and Erik could feel the gun slipping from his fingers and clattering to the wooden floor. He could turn away, he could yell for Raven and break from this spell that has fallen over him.

But he didn’t want to. Instead he leant over the side and grasped outstretched hands that were waiting for him. That’s right, just come to me, my love. The merman whispered and Erik let himself be pulled overboard, water cold shock against his body.

He wasn’t cold for long though, another body, warm one, curling around him, the fin of a tail brushing against his side gently, like a lover’s touch. He would run out of air soon, but he couldn’t bring himself to care, not when there were arms around his, red lips pressing to his face. And then finally to his lips, the kiss feeling like a kiss of life, pushing something strong into him that he lacked before.

Mine. He heard just before the world turned to black.


	16. Avengers: Superheroes/ Super powers

It was a sixth time Avengers faced off against Iron Man that month. Steve looked around himself and jumped behind the overturned machine, putting his shield up and hiding against another one of the repulsor blasts. It also seemed to him that it would be one more victory for the good old shellhead. It was almost daunting how easy it was for them to defeat an army of aliens or a giant mutated blob from other universe, but the fight with Iron Man almost always turned into a failure.

It was the biggest mystery Steve encountered in this new century since being woken up from his ice coma. Right behind the reason why he had to make nice with the CEO of Stane Industries when he wasn’t even in the military anymore. Apparently Fury thought that his face would persuade Stane to sell and design more weapons for SHIELD, but as far as Steve could understand it wasn’t going to work. The businessman didn’t care about anything but money.

A well placed kick made the care he was hiding behind flying and while Iron Man was too busy dodging the ruined Volvo, Steve threw his shield, not really having much hope of it connecting with anything substantial. What he wasn’t counting on however was the man in a suit turning and neatly catching the shield, holding it between his fingers as if it was no big deal. Steve blanched and started running towards the man, ignoring the shouting in his com.

Fury was threatening to bench him if he wouldn’t turn around right this instant, but Steve was not going to leave his shield behind. It was the only thing that he had left from the life he had before, and he would rather die than let some villain get it. He ripped the communicator from his ear and discarded it somewhere behind him, not caring about outraged yelling. The only thing that counted right now was his shield.

Before he knew what was happening however, he found himself airborne, metal arm tightly closed around his waist. He squeaked and clung to the man he’s supposed to be fighting, not even daring to look down at what promised to be several stories distance from the ground. Iron Man put him down on the building in Brooklyn, away from actual fight and, Steve noticed, from any SHIELD facilities. How the man knew where these were, he couldn’t have a hope of telling.

“Wha-?” He stammered, his knees shaky still from the flight and the man before him stood impassively, running his metal fingers gently over the ridges of Steve’s shield. Steve shivered and blushed, feeling somewhat filthy because of it and thanking the higher power that he had a cowl on that would mostly hid the red of his face.

Of course, it stopped mattering once Iron Man stepped closer and pushed the shield at his chest, Steve only barely being able to hold on to the edges before he was pushed against the door to the roof, and his eyes was covered. He was opening his mouth to repeat his previous question, the villain’s behaviour being so much out of his norm, when he found his lips being covered by another. His brain was very helpful in pointing out whose lips those were and Steve stood frozen for a moment, before shoving at the metal chest with his whole strength.

He had no time to even curse the man before the metal suit was in air again, the jaunty wave only fuelling Steve’s confused anger. What was this man playing at?


	17. XMFC: Unicorns

“Erik, just take a look.” Charles said, his voice happy and excited.

“No.” Erik answered, refusing to turn from his place near the stream, his back to whatever it was that grabbed Charles’ attention now. His shirt was completely soaked in some purple juice that the flying monkeys poured on him at the last turn of the road and he would be damned if he was letting the stains seep in the fabric.

They’ve been on their way to talk to another mutant, Charles chirping happily about some transferring abilities and portals and how talented, Erik, you’ll be delighted when you see it for yourself, the boy is simply incredible, you’ll just see. And Erik saw. Mainly when there was a sudden portal under their feet and they fell into what proved to be the most annoying place Erik was ever in.

It was bright and colourful and had anything from abovementioned flying monkeys to talking mammoths that tried to give them some directions before a sloth didn’t come stumbling and they both left. It was starting to be the most bizarre experience of Erik’s life, and most annoying, while Charles was happy to frolic through the meadows and croon at every new wonder they found.

He was under the impression that it was all created by their mutant’s mind, but Erik knew where the stupid monkeys came from, and it was not from some teenager’s imagination. It took him a moment to notice that Charles’ screams got less excited and more panicked. Then he was on his feet, looking around for the source of the distress, blinking at the sight that greeted his eyes.

Charles was running away from what appeared to be a white horse. With a horn on its forehead. Charles was trying to escape from the unicorn. That was Erik’s life. He squeezed the water from his shirt and looked dejectedly at the purple stains, deciding to just give the shirt up as a bad job. Hopefully, something in this weird universe would make an use out of it.

It wasn’t hard to distract the unicorn from his young partner, and then lead him into the clearing and hide in the bushes until it lost interest. Charles was sprawled on the grass near the stream, panting with exertion and Erik made another note to himself about the fact that the man needed more exercise. He was pathetically out of shape.

“I just wanted to have a closer look at it.” Charles said, wheezing and looking up at Erik wounded, as if it was his fault the dumb animal didn’t want to be petted. “It’s not like we have them around back home.”

“Do you know what’s a lore about unicorns?” Erik said, leaning patiently over the other man. Sometimes, for a genius he was really adorably stupid. He waited for a bit, Charles blinking up at him clueless. “That they allow only virgins to touch them.”

He was looking pretty close so he saw the realization dawning on Charles’ face, together with bright blush. The younger man uttered single “Oh.” and Erik lost it, plopping on the grass near him and laughing loudly.

He might have lost his shirt and they were still stuck in some alternate dimension, but at least he had Charles to keep him company. And that was going to be amusing if nothing else.


	18. Avengers: After Life

When Steve woke up in the SHIELD facility in New York, they tried to tricked him into thinking it was still forties. They didn’t succeeded and Steve was left staring at the blinking lights of modern Manhattan, turning around himself and trying not to have a panic attack. He didn’t know who these people who surrounded him were, but they tried to lie to him from the beginning and he didn’t have a reason to trust any of them.

 

In the end, he didn’t have much choice. There was little he could do without SHIELD’s help, for all intents and purposes for the world he was a dead man. And once you’re dead, it was quite hard to get back to the world of living, especially when it came to paperwork. Agent Coulson helped him a lot in that department, glaring viciously at Director Fury any time the man tried to engage Steve in any conversation. Steve had a feeling that it was Director’s idea to stage that stupid thing after Steve woke up and people didn’t agree with him.

It was thanks to Phil that he managed to get his own apartment in the old part of Brooklyn. Once upon his time it would be a clique, nothing bigger than his room at SHIELD, but here in this modern world the apartment took an entire floor, giving him enough space to organize his own art studio. Fury proposed him a position at SHIELD, but he refused. He told them that if they ever needed Captain America again, they could give him a call, but otherwise he just wanted to try and rebuild his life again.

Peggy was alive, he knew that much, but he didn’t want to call her. He wasn’t sure if it was his selfishness or altruism. He was sure she would be happy to know that he didn’t die after all, but that only lead to What Ifs and Maybes and that way was only regret. Steve wanted nothing less than to cause Peggy more pain. She had a lifetime without him, one filled with love and not missed chances and he wasn’t going to stain it for her. Even if for him their promised date was only few weeks ago. He would just have to get used to everyone moving by him.

Literally too. He wasn’t a fan of this aspect of modern world, everyone too busy in their everyday life to just stop and see anything. Everyone was hunched over their phones or IPods or whatever else they had that Steve didn’t know the name of. This was the hardest part of getting used to the times, this fact that he couldn’t just stop randomly on the sidewalk because he saw something interesting without being cursed by everyone passing by him, irritated that he’s taking their walking space. Sometimes he had a feeling people would start yelling at him for breathing their air.

It didn’t happen yet, but Steve wasn’t going to cross it out.

Another thing that he couldn’t get used to was sex. It’s not as if he was some big prude, they did have sex in forties and Bucky and other soldiers took special pleasures in sharing every detail of encounters with women they could recall, but. But no one shoved it in his face before, like it was done now. Ladies on the streets were just enough to cover their intimate places, commercials on the sides of buildings showing Steve women less clothed than he saw that one time he let Bucky pull him into the strip show.

But there were good things about this sexual liberation too. It was slow going and he scowled fiercely at the progress papers Phil gave him before sending him on his way. Ladies had almost completely equal rights, and homosexuals didn’t go to jail anymore just for being found kissing on the street. Steve was always attracted to both sexes, but before there was never any question about pursuing any man. But now he could. Even if he didn’t think he would really, since he had still hard time talking to anyone he was even remotely interested in.

He found himself sitting in various cafes around New York, both in Brooklyn and in other places, watching people and sketching, something he found soothing for him now in this new age. It was calming to have something ultimately out of time that he could do both in forties and now. His drawings were like a line connecting his old life with this new one. He drew the concept once, but he run out of page, so instead he went out and purchased some more art supplies, moving the drawing into the easel, putting it on with paints. It hung on his bedroom wall, reminding him that he might be out of this time, but that not everything was bad in this new century.

Still, when he received the call summoning him back to SHIELD, world in need of Captain America he exhaled a breath of relief. This life he received had a reason and he needed a purpose bigger than being a ghost of New York. He didn’t think there was anything that could even barely surprise him anymore.

So when he was face with the brash persona of Tony Stark and their first of many arguments unfurled, he felt his stomach tie itself in knots, back to being unsure of his standing. But it was just a fight and Tony wasn’t half as bad as Fury made him out to be, so they put it behind them soon. It was good to work with someone again, have a support at his back that he could count on. Somehow, Captain America and Iron Man worked together like a well oiled machine, as if they were partners for much longer than in reality.

Steve found himself really grinning for the first time since he woke up. Later, after the battle, when the team was checking in with medical staff and Loki was bound and powerless anymore he walked to the man and invited him for dinner. He may have problems with talking to people still, but he already missed one chance on being happy. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.


	19. Avengers: Vampires

Steve could get used to this new world, he decided, walking into one of the cafes near his apartment and smelling the freshly baked bread. In his time it was a luxury to go to one of the restaurants that were serving so early and freshly made food to boot. Not dinner kind of food, but real breakfast kind, like pancakes and sandwiches and scrambled eggs on the best bacon Steve ever tasted. It was nice to just sit down first thing in the morning and let himself be fed with the best breakfast food he could imagine.

Bucky always made fun of him and his love of everything morning, but it was just how Steve was raised. The morning bird gets a worm and what not.

It was raining that day so Steve ducked into café a little later than usual, enjoying his walk between the raindrops more than he probably should. He was soaked to the bone now, not even bothering to open his umbrella, and Mrs Burrow who ran the café fetched a towel for him with a laugh. There were more people inside than usual, probably because of the rain and Steve accepted the towel with a smile and sat in one of the tables in the back, after ordering his usual.

After the serum he found his metabolism almost too fast, being almost hungry not something he liked very much. But it was worth it just to indulge himself in different kinds of breakfast every morning, not having to chose like before his transformation. There was something to be said about being free to eat to his heart’s content. Especially since SHIELD paid for everything, in return for his occasional help as Captain America when some aliens cropped out of the woods, trying to take control of New York.

The pair on the table next to him hushed the moment he sat down and he saw from the corner of his eye the woman gripping the man’s hand tight. It was as if she was stopping him from something, and Steve was briefly interested, but then his order came and he forgot all about the weird pair.

That is, until he looked up from his plate and saw the man sprawled on the chair opposite his, looking at him curiously from over the rim of the expensive looking glasses, swirling some kind of wine in the glass he was holding.

“I’m Tony. How about we make that a date.” The man said before Steve could utter a single word and he was charmed enough by the forward way to shake the offered hand and smile slightly. He wasn’t necessarily uninterested, but it did come out of nowhere. So he spent his morning with Tony, talking and eating, the man seemingly puzzled at some of his answers and antics when he didn’t turn his hand into the touch of another man’s or when he contradicted him in something.

It was weird, but it was more funny than that so Steve let it go.

Weeks later, in his apartment, pressed against a wall, with Tony’s fangs biting into the vein in his neck and his knees feeling like they were going to give in on him for the first time since the serum, he looked back on this first date of their and realized what all of that meant. Tony was charming him, with the supernatural power. And he wasn’t responding because he was immune.

It didn’t seem to matter when the man moved his lips from Steve’s neck to his lips, kissing demanding and hard, his lips stained red. Steve really couldn’t care less if Tony was a vampire, fairy or a time travelling alien, as long as they could move it to the bedroom.


	20. XMFC: Mage/Wizards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to the "Magic" drabble, but can be seen as a stand alone. I told you, I couldn't leave well enough happy endings.

Charles stretched and groaned when he feels his spine pop. He hated the sound it made, but he’s not above admitting that it felt good when it did that. The exams were getting closer, and although it’s Christmas break, most of the seventh year sat around surrounded with books cramming what they could still. He stopped doing the same few hours ago, his eyes too itchy to read anymore. Instead he curled tighter into the blue blanket thrown over the back of the sofa and decided to take a nap.

 

It wasn’t the most comfortable position and his back was twinging now, reminding him that he should probably think more next time before falling asleep sitting up. Charles couldn’t help it if he didn’t want to move though. He was warm and his feet were curled into Erik’s lap, his boyfriend too engrossed in his own book on History of Magic to notice, otherwise he would shove them off long time ago. It was hit and go with Erik and any signs of affection when one day he would be okay with pretty much anything and the next he wouldn’t even want to hold Charles’ hand.

To be honest, their whole relationship was kind of difficult, especially since Erik insisted there was no relationship. He was weird like that and although normally it didn’t faze Charles much, because what did it matter what Erik said when he still spent most of his time with Charles, but there were days when he wondered why did he even bothered.

As if awakened by the thoughts of him, Erik looked up and frowned at the lack of book in Charles’ hand. It was supposed to be a study session so it was only expected that there would be studying going on. He frowned harder when he realized their position and just as predicted, shoved at Charles feet until they fell to the ground with a soft thump before going back to his book.

It was Christmas, and yeah, they were too busy to do anything but study, but Charles was hoping that the atmosphere would prompt Erik to be at least a little bit kinder to him. They were dating for over a year now and he still couldn’t call the other boy his boyfriend without receiving a scowl in return. Sometimes, he really didn’t know why he was even trying with Erik, there was nothing indicating that the boy even wanted him around, except the rare moments of warmth when he let Charles cuddle to him and hold his hand during the visit to Hogsmeade.

Charles was kind of hoping that it would change the longer they were together, but he was starting to lose hope. He curled into himself and put his chin on his knees, looking at Erik carefully, gauging his mood before sliding closer and pressing against his side. He wasn’t even trying for a cuddle this time, just wanted to be close, his brain too tired to keep up his daily optimism up.

“Charles, move away, you’re in my space.” Erik said, not even looking up and Charles could feel his lower lip jutting out. This was unfair. But fine, he wasn’t going to force his presence upon someone who clearly didn’t want it.

He sighed unhappily and slid away before leaning down and putting his shoes back on. It was probably better for him to get back to his common room before the curfew anyway. It’s not like Erik would let him stay with him for the night. It happened exactly once to this day and the other boy looked so unhappy upon seeing Charles in the morning, that he didn’t even ask again. He stood up and folded the blanket carefully before putting it away and grabbing the bag with his books.

“Where are you going?” Erik asked finally looking up at him and Charles just- Charles was too tired and too unhappy to even pretend that he was anything but.

“Back to my room. I’m done with studying and don’t want to bother you.” He said levelling Erik with a bland stare. The other boy just nodded and went back to his book as if it was completely acceptable explanation. Charles looked across the room when Moira was curled into Sean’s side, the boy playing with her hair while she was reading and suppressed another sigh. He wanted to have something like they have, but he started to realize that if he did, it wasn’t probably going to be with Erik.

And that was a shame, because he really liked Erik. He was smart and clever and had just the type of dry humour that Charles loved. He would be kind of the perfect man from Charles’ dreams if it wasn’t for the fact that he was so cold. Charles just wanted someone that would show him some affection without him practically begging for it. It wasn’t too much to ask, almost anyone in their year had someone like that.

The walk to the kitchen was a glum one and he wondered if he should ever try anymore with Erik. There was nothing that Charles could see that would tell him Erik cared about him being around one way or another. Well, he always said he liked their chess matches, but that was about it. It felt like Charles was the only one thinking of them as in relationship and not simply friends.

Maybe he should just stop pushing for something more and be satisfied with being friends. He knew for a fact that there were people that would jump at the chance of being Erik’s boyfriend or girlfriend and maybe he should just give someone else a chance. Erik clearly didn’t want him in that way so really, it would be better for everyone involved if they just started dating other people.

He had an invitation to the Christmas ball from Logan after all, and yeah, he thought he would go with Erik, but it’s not like the other boy asked him and he didn’t go around to do it himself yet. Maybe it was a good start to just let the illusion of relationship go.


End file.
